"The thirst for military glory will ever be the vice of the most exalted characters."

Edward Gibbon,
sometime captain,
The Hampshire Grenadiers

La Triviata

During World War II, "psychological reasons" were cited for only 2.5% of men rejected for service by the British Army, but fully 10% of those rejected by the U.S. Army.

Gunnery accuracy during the Spanish-American War was so poor, that the highest rate of hits obtained by the U.S. Navy in any action was only 2.4% at Manila Bay on May 1, 1898.

On the eve of the Battle of Bosworth (August 22, 1485), King Richard III of England found a sentry asleep at his post and promptly daggered him, saying afterwards, "I found him asleep, and have left him as I found him."

Although officially only 21 percent of Confederate manpower was obtained through the draft, legislative fiat twice prolonged the enlistments of the remaining 79 percent, who volunteered early in the war for one year, in 1862 to three years and then in 1864 for the duration.

Between 1595 and 1602 construction of 6.5 miles of new defenses for the Russian city of Smolensk consumed 150 million bricks, 620,000 facing stones, and one million loads of sand.

The Eighth Air Force shot down 6,098 fighter planes during World War II, or one for every 12,700 rounds of machine gun ammo fired.

At Battle of Minden (August 1, 1759), six British infantry battalions (the 12th, 20th, 23rd, 25th, 37th, and 50th Foot), attacked and routed 72 squadrons of French cavalry, one of the most unique feats of arms in history.

No naval aviator has ever been permitted to command one of the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers.